Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a new and improved ~-
method of producing titanium dioxide.
In its more particular aspects, the present ~
invention relates to a new and improved method for producing -
titanium dioxide and during which method titanium slag is
used as the starting material and mixed with sulphuric acid `--~
having a concentration of at least 95% by weight. Warm, -
concentrated sulphuric acid of a concentration less than 95%
by weight is obtained ~rom a recycling operation during the
titanium dioxide production and is subsequently added to the
mixture of titanium slag and the highly concentrated
sulphuric acid. As a result of such treatment or extraction
operation, there is obtained a colution which is suitable for ;
the hydrolysis of the titanyI sulphate which is contained
therein, after separation of the solution from the titanium
slag treatment residue. This solution is subjected to
hydrolysis and the hydrolysis product which is further -
processed for producing the desired titanlum dioxide, is
separated from the mother liquor. The mother liquor
constitutes a weak sulphuric acid containing metal sulphates.
This mother liquor is concentrated to a sulphuric acid
concentration in the range of 76% by weight to 87% by weight
and recycled into the titanium slag treatment. The metal
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salts or sulphates are separated from the mother liquor
during the concentrating operation.
A method such as known, for example, from "Ullmanns
Encyklopadie der technischen Chemie", 4th Edition (1979),
Volume 18, pages 570 to 580, utilizes ilmenite containing
relatively high amounts of iron or titanium slag as the
starting material for producing titanium dioxide. The
titanium slag is particularly advantageous and obtained from
ilmenite by separation of the iron contained therein.
'
According to a further known method using titanium
slag as the starting material, such as the method described,
for example, in European Patent Publication No. 0,197,507,
published October 15, 1986, the ecologically harmful dumping -
or open sea disposal of the large quantities of low
concentration waste sulphuric acid and metal salts are
intended to be avoided. Such low concentration sulphuxic -
acid and metal salts are obtained as by-products during the
titanium dioxide production using the sulphuric acid
treatment of titanium slag. The dumping or open sea disposal
of these by-products are avoided by reprocessing the low
concentration waste sulphuric acid and recycling the same to
the greatest possible extent for re-use in the sulphuric acid
treatment of the titanium slag.
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The titanium slag treatment requires high starting
concentrations of sulphuric acid of approximately 90% by
weight and temperatures of approximately 120C. Since the
mother liquor from the hydrolysis has a sulphuric acid
concentration of approximately 23% by weight, this weak
sulphuric acid must be concentrated to a very high extent and
any disturbing metallic compounds or metal sulphates have to
be separated during such concentrating operation.
Appropriate methods are listed in "Materialien 2/76, -
R~ckstande aus der Titandioxid-Produktion" (Roughly
translated as: Materials 2/76, Residues from Titanium Dioxide
Production), issued by the German Federal Environment Office -
(Umweltbundesamt), Berlin 1982, and are also known, for -~
example, from German Patent Publication No. 2,807,380,
published March 29, 1979, German Patent Publication No.
2,807,394, published March 29, 1979, and German Patent -
Publication No. 2,807,360, published April 19, 1979.
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When utilizing such methods, the concentration of
the sulphuric acid obtained during the concentrating
operation, must increase with increasing amounts of recovered - -
sulphuric acid which are intended to be recycled. In such
case, the starting concentration of sulphuric acid must be
obtained by adding the required amount of still higher
concentrated fresh sulphuric acid having a concentration
above 95~ by weight. However, particularly high final
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concentrations in the concentrating operation can only be
realized at high energy consumption which is undesirable and
also renders the method uneconomical. Consequently, the
known processes do not yet operate at an optimum extent of
sulphuric acid recycling in a simultaneously economical and
energy-saving manner, i.e. either only a limited amount of
the weak sulphuric acid, which is obtained as a result of the
hydrolysis, can be recycled or the recycled sulphuric acid
must be concentrated in an uneconomical manner.
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In a further method such as known, for example,
from European Patent Publication No. 0,031,507, published
July 8, 1981, a mixture of titanium slag and ilmenite is
treated or extracted using sulphuric acid having a
concentration in the range of 86% by weight to 96% by weight.
In order to enable re-use of a large quantity of the weak
sulphuric acid, which i8 obtained as a result of the -~
hydrolysis such weak sulphuric acid must be concentrated to
very high concentrations in an energy-intensive manner and,
preferably, fuming sulphuric acid from an external source has
to be added.
In a still further method as described, for -~
example, in European Patent Publication No. 0,220,583,
published May 6, 1987, the weak sulphuric acid obtained from
the method of producing titanium dioxide, is concentrated to
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sulphuric acid having a concentration in the range of 70% by
weight to 85% by weight. Such recovered sulphuric acid is
mixed with sulphuric acid having a concentration above 95% by
weight, preferably fuming sulphuric acid from an external
source, for re-use in the treatment or extraction of the
starting material. This method also does not recycle the
weak sulphuric acid in an optimum manner and with optimum
energy consumption.
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SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION .
Therefore, wi~h the foregoing in mind, it is a ;
primary object of the present invention to provide a new and `;
improved method for producing titanium dioxide and which
method is not afflicted with the aforementioned drawbacks and
limitations of the prior art methods.
Another and more specific object of the present
invention is directed to a new and improved method for
producing titanium dioxide and which method permits
recovering and re-using or recycling significantly increased
portions of the obtained waste products in the method as
compared with prior art methods.
A further important object of the present invention
is directed to providing a new and improved method for
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producing titanium dioxide and which method renders possible
recycling a significantly increased amount of sulphuric acid
with concomitant improvements in the economy of the process
and saving~ of energy as compared with prior art methods.
Now in order to implement these and still further
objects of the invention, which will become more readily
apparent as the description proceeds, the method of the
present development is manifested, among other things, by the
steps that, ilmenite and titanium slag are subjected to
combined but separate sulphuric acid treatments or ; ~-
extractions. The thus obtained titanium-containing solutions
are subsequently mixed or combined and further processed to
yield the desired titanium dioxide. The mother liquor thus
obtained from the titanium dioxide production constitutes a
weak sulphuric acid which is concentrated and recycled into
the combined but separate treatments or extractions. The
metal sulphates obtained from the concentrating operation are
further processed for producing highly concentrated sulphuric
acid which is also recycled into the combined but separate
treatments or extractions of the starting materials ilmenite
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and titanium slag.
Advantageously, the sulphuric acid recovered from
the mother liquor is recycled into the process such that
mainly the recovered sulphuric acid is used for the ilmenite
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treatment or extraction. The recovered highly concentrated
sulphuric acid is recycled into the treatment or extraction
of titanium slag.
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Preferably, the ratio of the amounts of titanium -
slag and ilmenite, as well as the proportions of recycled
sulphuric acid and highly concentrated sulphuric acid used in
the combined but separate titanium slag treatment or
extraction and ilmenite treatment (or extraction), are ;~
selected such as to obtain predetermined starting conditions ;
for the treatment or extraction of these starting materials.
If required, such starting conditions can be realized by the
additional introduction of steam, particularly superheated
steam.
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In this respect, the inventive method is based on
the recognition that the starting conditions for the
treatment or extraction of titanium slag differ from the
starting conditions for the treatment or extraction of
ilmenite. Such starting conditions for example, are a
sulphuric acid concentration of approximately 90% by weight
and 120C in the case of titanium slag. In the case of
ilmenite, the starting conditions, for example, are a
sulphuric acid concentration of approximately 85% by weight
and a temperature of about 90C.
Under such starting conditions, the recovered and
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recycled sulphuric acid which is obtained in comparatively
large quantities as a result of the titanium slag treatment
or extraction, needs to be concentrated only to about 85~ by
weight which results in a considerable saving of energy.
There is thus permitted using mainly the recovered and
recycled sulphuric acid for the ilmenite treatment or
extraction. The remaining portion of the recovered and
recycled sulphuric acid, then, can be readily brought to the
required starting condition of approximately 90% by weight by
adding highly concentrated sulphuric acid having a
concentration of about 98.5% by weight. It should be noted
in this respect that a considerable portion of such highly
concentrated sulphuric acid can also be recovered, as
mentioned hereinbefore, by roasting the obtained metal
sulphates and converting the roast gases into sulphuric acid.
After all, there is thus obtained the beneficial effect that
a large amount of the sulphuric acid can be recovered and
recycled in a less than highly concentrated condition and -
thus at very favorable use of energy.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
,:
The invention will be better understood and objects
other than those set forth above will become apparent when
consideration is given to the following detailed description
thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed
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single drawing showing a block diagram of the inventive
process.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
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Describing now the drawing, it is to be understood -
that to simplify the showing thereof, only enough of the
method for producing titanium dioxide has been illustrated in
the manner of a flow diagram as is needed to enable one
skilled in the art to readily understand the underlying
principles and concepts of the present development, while
simplifying the showing of the drawing. Turning attention
now specifically to the single figure of the drawing, there - `
has been illustrated therein by way of example and not
limitation, a block or flow diagram illustrating the various
steps which are required when carrying out the inventive
method for producing titanium dioxide. In such block or flow
diagxam there are given numerical values showing the amounts
~;~ of 100% sulphuric acid which are employed or obtained during
the various steps of the inventive method, each such
numerical value being given in metric tons related to the
production of 1 metric ton of titanium dioxide. The
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percentage data given in parentheses indicate the actually
used or obtained concentrations of -~ulphuric acid. The ~
indicated percentages are to be understood as percentages by - -
weight throughout.
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When performing the inventive method, there are
carried out combined but separate or parallel treatments or
extractions of ilmenite, for example, an Australian ilmenite
ore, and titanium slag, for example, Canadian titanium slag
obtained from the Quebec Iron and Titanium Corporation and
which titanium slag is designated by the reference character
QIT. Such titanium slag is preferably used in the ground
state or condition.
Preferably, the employed ilmenite contains iron as
a foreign substance, whereas the titanium slag contains only
small quantities of iron but greater proportions of other
metals like, for example, aluminum and magnesium.
Surprisingly, the combined but separate or parallel
treatment or extraction of the aforementioned two starting
materials at a predetermined ratio thereof and the subsequent
combined processing of the titanium-containing solutions -
obtained from such treatment after separation from the
respective residues, results in considerable improvements in
the recycling and re-use of waste products as well as in the
economy of the titanium dioxide production.
In the illustrated example, the ilmenite and the
titanium slag are used as starting materials in a 25%:75
ratio. Specifically, the Australian ilmenite contains
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titanium dioxide in an amount of about 54.5% by weight and
the QIT titanium slag contains titanium dioxide in an amount -
of about 78% by weight. At an overall yield of about 87.5%
titanium dioxide from the two combined but separate or
parallel treatments or extraction, about 1.55 metric tons of
sulphuric acid (100% concentration) are required for each
metric ton of the ore. In other words, for each ton of
titanium dioxide which is produced by the inventive method,
there is required a total amount of 2.4552 metric tons of -
sulphuric acid, namely 0.6138 metric tons for the treatment
or extraction of ilmenite and 1.8414 metric tons for the
treatment or extraction of the QIT titanium slag, each in
100~ concentration per metric ton of titanium dioxide.
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For the ilmenite treatment or extraction, 0.14
metric tons of 100% sulphuric acid are used in the azeotropic
state corresponding to a concentration of 98.5% and added to `
the ground ilmenite ore. This azeotropic sulphuric acid is ~
recovered and recycled by processing the metal sulphates :~`
which are obtained as a by-product when carrying out the
inventive method, as will be described further hereinbelow.
Subsequently, 0.7438 metric tons of 100~ sulpburic acid are
added at a temperature preferably below 80C and at a
concentration of about 85% by weight. Such 85% sulphuric
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acid is recycled as recovered from the mother liquor of the
titanium dioxide production as described further hereinbelow.
As a result of the addition of the 85~ sulphuric
acid, there is obtained a mixture of the ilmenite ore with
sulphuric acid having a concentration of approximately 87.7%
by weight and a temperature of approximately 75C. In order
to provide the predetermined starting conditions for the
ilmenite treatment or extraction, there are added 0.0226 ;
metric tons of steam, for example, superheated steam at a
temperature of about 150C. There thus result the required
starting conditions for the ilmenite treatment or extraction,
namely a sulphuric acid having a concentration of
approximately 85% by weight and a temperature of about 90C.
During the further course of the operation, there is re~uired
a further addition of 0.0189 metric tons of 100% sulphuric
acid for the purpose of bleaching.
The combined but separate or parallel treatment or
extraction of the QIT titanium slag is effected by adding
0.8950 metric tons of 100% sulphuric acid at a concentration
of about 98.5% to the preferably ground titanium slag in a
cooled mixing vessel. This amount of highly concentrated
sulphuric acid is obtained from the processing of the metal
sulphates as described further hereinbelow. An additional
amount of 0.3702 metric tons of 100~ sulphuric acid in the
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form of fresh cold sulphuric acid of a concentration of about ~
98.5% is added. Subsequently, the thus obtained mixture is :
transferred to a reaction tank and there are added 0.5762
metric tons of 100% sulphuric acid in the form of the :
aforementioned xecovered and recycled 85% sulphuric acid at a .
temperature preferably below 80C. As a result, there is .
obtained a reaction mixture containing sulphuric acid at a
concentration of about 93.8~ by weight and having a
temperature of approximately 75C. The predetermined
starting conditions for treating or extracting the QIT -:
titanium slag are obtained by adding 0.0723 metric tons of
steam, for example, superheated steam at about 150C. As a ~ :
result of such addition, the concentration of sulphuric acid
i8 adjusted to about 90% by weight and the temperature is
adjusted to about 120C. During the further course of the
operation, a further 0.0811 metric tons of 100% sulphuric :
acid are added for bleaching purposes.
.
After completing the combined but separate or
parallel ilmenite and QIT titanium islag treatments or
extractions, the thus obtained respective titanium-containing
solutions are separated from the ilmenite treatment residue
and the QIT titanium slag treatment residue. The two
titanium-containing solutions are combined and the combined
solutions are further subjected to hydrolysis in conventional
manner, as indicated by the box designated by the reference
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character "H" in the block or flow diagram illustrating the
inventive method. The thus obtained hydrolysis product is
separated from the mother liquor and dissolved in
conventional manner in water or dilute acid at a low
temperature and, as a result, the titanium oxide hydrate is
dissolved and there remains a residue of insoluble metal
sulphates. The aforementioned mother liquor contains 1.5
metric tons of 100% sulphuric acid at a concentration of 23%
by weight. ~
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The separated solution is again subjected to
hydrolysis and the precipitated titanium oxide hydrate is
separated from the liquid. The filter cake is washed and -~
dehydrated and during this process there are produced 0.3500
metric tons of 100% sulphuric acid at a concentration of
approximately 5~ by weight which is conveniently designated
by the reference character D and disposed of because further ;~
processing thereof would be uneconomical.
The aforementioned mother liquor which constitutes
metal salt or sulphate containing weak or dilute sulphuric
acid having a concentration of approximately 23~ by weight,
is subjected to a conventional concentrating operation in
order to obtain the aforementioned recovered 85% sulphuric
acid.
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As illustrated in the block or flow diagram, the
thus recovered approximately 1.0500 metric tons of 100%
sulphuric acid are recycled into the combined but separate or
parallel treatmen~s or extractions of ilmenite and QIT
titanium slag. Specifically, and as illustrated, 0.5762
metric tons thereof are employed for the QIT titanium slag ~ -
treatment or extraction and 0.4738 metric tons thereof are
utilized for the ilmenite treatment or extraction.
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During the concentrating operation on the
abovementioned mother liquor, there is obtained an amount of
approximately 0.7000 metric tons of metal sulphates which
contain a residual amount of approximately 0.4500 metric tons
of 100% sulphuric acid. The thus obtained metal sulphates
are subjected to a conventional roasting process which is
indicated by the block "R" in the block or flow diagram.
During such roasting process, the metal sulphates are
converted into metal oxides and the roast gases are converted
in conventional manner to 1.0350 metric tons of 100%
sulphuric acid in the azeotropic condition at a concentration
of 98.5%. This sulphuric acid is recovered and recycled into
the combined but separate or parallel treatments or
extractions of ilmenite and QIT titanium slag.
As ind1cated by the labels "MeO" and D1 in the
block or flow diagram, the matal oxides designated by "MeO"
and which are the product of the roasting operation, are
outfed at D1 for disposal or further processing.
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As illustrated in the example of the block or flow
diagram, 0.1400 metric tons of the recovered 100% sulphuric
acid are utilized for the ilmenite treatment or extraction
and 0.8950 metric tons of such recovered 100% sulphuric acid
are utilized for the QIT titanium slag treatment or
extraction. Only 0.3702 metric tons of fresh 100% sulphuric
acid, also in the form of 98.5% sulphuric acid, have to be
introduced for replacing losses and this make-up quantity "F"
amounts to only about 15% of the entire quantity of sulphuric
acid required for producing 1 metric ton of titanium dioxide.
-The combined but separate or parallel treatment or
extraction of ilmenite and QIT titanium slag according to the
inventive method advantageously requires only a sulphuric
acid concentration of approximately 85% by weight and a
temperature of approximately 90C as a starting condition for
the treatment or extraction of ilmenite as compared to a
sulphuric acid concen~ration of approximately 90% by weight
and a temperature of about 120C as in the starting
conditions for the treatment or extraction of QIT titanium
- slag. Therefore, in the ilmenite treatment or extraction,
there can be used a comparatively large proportion ~e.g.
0.4738 tons) of the reoovered and recycled 85% sulphuric acid
in relation to only a comparatively small amount (e.g. 0.1400 -
tons) of highly concentrated 98.5% sulphuric acid. The major
portion of the recovered and recycled highly concentrated
98~5% sulphuric acid (e.g. 1.2652 tons) thus is available for
the QIT titanium slag treatment or extraction where only a
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relatively smaller quantity (e.g. 0.5762 tons) of the
recovered and recycled 85% sulphuric acid can be added.
Consequently, such combined but separate or parallel
treatment or extraction permits a significantly increased ~-
degree of using recovered and recycled products in an
energy-saving and economical manner, particularly, in the
absence of a requirement for increasing the weak or dilute
23~ sulphuric acid to concentrations above 85% by weight and
at conditions under which only a considerably reduced amount
of fresh highly concentrated sulphuric acid is required.
The herein given individual numerical values are
related to the specific starting materials which are utilized
for carrying out the inventive method. Such individual
numerical values are subject to change in accordance with
changes in the origin of the starting materials. In any
event, the inventive concept is also applicable to, for
example, South African, Canadian, Norwegian or Australian
titanium slag or ilmenite with appropriate adaptation of the
sulphuric acid quantities to the respective titanium slag and
ilmenite compositions without any substantive change in the
parameters of the inventive method.
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